As a piano dealer, I always read additional material in relation to the various piano 
manufacturers and companies that I carry in my store. It helps me a lot when a customer asks about a particular brand, and it definitely shows that I know a great deal more about each of the piano brands. Most people are interested to find out more about the manufacturer before they buy the musical instrument, which is why I enjoy sharing my knowledge with them. In this blog, I gladly share the history of Schimmel pianos.
The Founder
Wilhelm Schimmel founded the company on 2 May 1885 in Leipzig, Germany. Back then, he won numerous awards and accolades at world expositions and fairs. At the same time, because of his high quality pianos, Wilhelm was accredited with titles by vendors to various royal houses. Today, the company continues to produce remarkable and very unique pianos.
The Younger Generation
Wilhelm transferred the ownership of the company to his son in 1927, Wilhelm Arno Schimmel and Arno later chose to relocate the business to Braunschweig, where he worked hard to expand the business through difficult times. During this time, Arno became an inspiration in the piano industry and left his imprint on the entire era of Schimmel pianos’ designing and manufacturing. Due to this, he led an entirely new path of modern, exquisite pianos.
Schimmel Co. – The Number One Piano Manufacturer in Germany
In order to expand into the world of piano manufacturing, the company never shared its well-kept secrets and traditions with anybody outside the company. A large number of purchasers believed that this was the main reasons behind the extremely good quality pianos they produce – perfect keyboard assembly, amazing sound production, flawless key response, and exceptional woodwork.
Until this day, every time I play one of the Schimmel pianos, I can still see, feel, and hear how fabulous and flawless the musical instrument is. Nikolaus Schimmel took charge of the company at the beginning of the 60’s. Under his tenure, the Schimmel Co. became the foremost piano manufacturer in Germany.
I believe that the company is still doing extremely well due to the fact that it is the only company, if not one of a very exclusive number of companies, that is still headed by a direct descendant of the founder. A few years ago, Hannes M. Schimmel-Vogel was named the new CEO of Schimmel Co. and along with Gabriela M. Schimmel and a team of amazing staff members, this fourth Schimmel generation is maintaining the company’s heritage of craftsmanship since it was founded in 1885. In May 2010, Schimmel Co. celebrated its 125th anniversary and continued to increase its orders and revenues of Schimmel pianos.
Why the Company is named as one of the Best Manufacturers on the International 
Market
From my studies over the years, I found that there are not many piano companies that are managed by the direct descendants of the original founder or the owners of the company until this very day. Schimmel Co. maintains its excellent production because the management team has always been part of the family. This can only mean that the younger generations of the Schimmel family have a strong bond and they did not hesitate to follow in the footsteps of their ancestors when it comes to the importance of maintaining good quality Schimmel pianos.
So, there you go, a little bit of history with reference to the Schimmel Co. and its many striking pianos. I always advise my customers to test the Schimmel pianos before they decide to buy one. Although I believe that a brand is one’s preference, I always make it a point to let my customers play different brands, so that they can learn the differences in the sound, production, touch response, and feel of the pianos.
Do you know any other piano brands from Germany?